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Cape cattle kill prompts grazier outrage

Pest or asset? The government says this animal was killed lawfully and humanely by a ranger because it was a "wild, unbranded animal" in a national park

The publication of a taxpayer-funded brochure depicting a graphic, step-by-step demonstration of how to slaughter and butcher a beast has sparked outrage in the Cape York cattle industry.

AgForce state councillor Graham Elmes, a former Cape York mayor, alleges it implicates Queensland Government agencies in unlawful activities, including cattle theft and killing of cattle in some of the state's most remote national parks.

Oyala Thumotang National Park, formerly Rokeby Station, is one of several Aboriginal freehold properties co-managed by traditional owners with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

Mr Elmes claims the brazen act of killing a beast and publishing photographs of it exemplifies the mounting anger of graziers about cattle ownership issues in Cape York.

This is what we call the Coen wet market. You drive out in the bush, you shoot a beast, you cut him up, never mind who owns him... Those days of these sorts of kills, they were gone 20 years ago. We've moved on from there but apparently our departments haven't realised.

AgForce state councillor Graham Elmes

"To my knowledge it's been happening for the past seven years so I wouldn't call it isolated. When you have a look at this brochure, you've got national park people involved in it with their badges on so it makes it a bit hard for the ordinary old property owner to kick up a stink."

Mr Elmes says publication of the brochure confirms graziers' worst suspicions about unlawful activity, yet many are still gobsmacked at the brazen way in which it's occurred and then publicised.

"I said (to my AgForce colleagues) this is what we call the Coen wet meat market. You drive out in the bush, you shoot a beast, you cut him up, never mind who owns him... and you take him in, hang him up in the shade for a while and then put him in bags and put him in the freezer and eat him."

"Those days of these sorts of kills, they were gone 20 years ago. We've moved on from there but apparently our departments and that haven't realised that."

"We certainly agree cattle or beasts that are unbranded may very well continue to belong to a neighbouring property owner, that is why we work closely with neighbours to issue them with stock mustering permits so they can go in and clean out any progeny that might belong to them."

"The beast that is shown in this particular image, there were a number of reasons that led to the circumstance that occurred.

"So, after this incident occurred, the stock squad advised QPWS that it believes the progeny or any cattle on Oyala Thumotang national park are in fact owned by the neighbours so this particular event will not occur again. As a consequence of the advice from the stock squad, we will be exhausting all avenues to return those cattle to the neighbouring property owners before any action like this occurs again."

As a consequence of the advice from the stock squad, we will be exhausting all avenues to return those cattle to the neighbouring property owners before any action like this occurs again.

Jason Jakobi, Queensland Department of National Parks and Recreation

Mr Jacobi defends the publication of a brochure which showed the animal being cut up, hung in trees, put in plastic bags and cooked on a barbecue and refutes the allegation the activity is widespread.

"That allegation (of Coen wet meat market) is absurd and incorrect. We take a very professional approach to the management of cattle on national parks.

"The activities depicted in the brochure are lawful activities conducted during a pest management program with traditional owners who are the freehold owners of the national park.

"(It) was produced as a record of attendance and achievement in a pest management program on Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land.

"The wild, unbranded animal shown in the photo was killed humanely by a park ranger and not by traditional owners.

"This action was taken as the cattle were seen to be gathering around two parked, pest management helicopters and there was concern that they could interfere with the aircraft and disrupt the program."

Mr Elmes scoffed at the claim the beast was unable to be identified and believes the government's response highlights the ignorance that exists about cattle ownership and management.

"Someone has to buy that breeder and produce that beast," he says. "And this beast's been produced and managed properly but it's been missed in a muster and this is the sort of issues that really concern me."

"I can name properties that'll lose a couple of hundred (head) a year into the parks and they don't get 90 per cent of them back."

But Mr Jacobi says no cattle located on Oyala Thumotang have been sold, although on Lakefield national park in consultation with neighbouring property owners and the stock squad, an unspecified number of cattle have been branded and sold.

He says managing cattle on national parks is on ongoing challenge and in most cases, the government works co-operatively with neighbouring properties to get cattle off parks.

Mr Elmes was working and operating in Cape York during the 1980s when more than 100,000 head of cattle were rounded up and shot under the Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Program (BTEC) and knows only too well the risk of pest and disease.

But instead of helping to minimise risks, he claims the QPWS is abrogating its obligation to return cattle to their lawful owner and ignoring the devastating consequences of allowing unlawful killing to take place.

"The property we're dealing with (Rokeby), it was one of the highest TB incident rating properties in the Cape and it was completely shot out and if one of these families came up with TB, there'd be all sorts of strife. Our whole Cape York pastoral industry could be destroyed."

"It terrifies us. When you look at what's happening here, within this national park and how this was done and all those people involved in it. If I were to do that, they'd lock me up and throw the key away. It's as simple as that."